Folding display stand



Oct. 22, 1957 B. SLANHOFF 2,810,617

FOLDING DISPLAY STAND Filed Oct. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L 72 i2 4 v 11 1 11 9/ j 76 25 l 25 16 17 3 I4 1 7 L 14 7 /r 5 27 I 2 a i /6 5 22 5E INVENTOR. 75 ,BeTZraY SZa zho/ Ava/M57 Oct. 22, 1957 Filed 001?. 16. 1956 B. SLANHOF F FOLDING DISPLAY STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

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FOLDING DISPLAY STAND Bertram Slanhoif, Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application October 16, 1956, Serial No. 616,337

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-241) This invention relates to display devices or display stands, and particularly to those of a type intended for use in stores, or in other places where a display of merchandise in a prominent and effective manner is desirable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a foldable display stand of this character which shall be portable and which can thus be easily moved from one place to another and quickly erected. It is an object of the invention to provide a display stand of foldable or collapsible nature; which can be easily folded to convenient portable form, and which, when erected, will be sturdy and strong and easily capable of supporting a substantial .amount of merchandise as well as display material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a foldable, easily portable display stand; to provide a stand which can be erected easily and without the use of tools; to provide a stand which will occupy relatively small floor space while holding and displaying a maximum amount of merchandise, and which can be made and sold economically.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved display stand in open or erect position, but with the supporting legs in folded or closed position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the display stand in open position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the display stand in closed or folded position;

Fig. 4 shows the display stand in a partly-opened position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The improved display stand includes two main panels constituting casing elements which are indicated respectively at 1, and 2 and which, when the device is in its closed position as shown in Fig. 3, co-operate in forming a casing or container in which operative parts of the stand are normally enclosed. The upper casing member 2 includes a wall or panel 3, surrounded by an edging 4 preferably of metal and constituting an enclosing wall for the panel 3. The panel 3 can be made of wall board or of any other suitable lightweight but strong sheet material, lending portability to the device.

The lower casing member 1 is generally similar to the upper casing member 2 and thus includes a panel 5, surrounded by the enclosing edging 6 forming a surrounding wall. The two casing members 1 and 2 are hingedly connected together at one end by the hinges shown at 7. This hinging arrangement is such that when the stand is in its open position, and is resting on the floor as shown in Figs.

atent O 2,816,617 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 1 and 2, portions of the surrounding walls 4 and 6 are brought into abutment and rest flatly against one another, so that the casing members 1 and 2 are positioned end-toend and the casing member 2 rests on top of the casing member 1 and the effect of a single, lengthy panel is obtained.

Pivotally mounted at opposite portions of the side wall 6 of the lower casing member 1 is a shelf 9 which is pivotally connected at 10 on each of its ends near its forward edge, to one end of a link 11, which has its opposite end pivotally attached at 12 to the side wall 4. These two links 11 act to support the shelf in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the display stand is open and also serve to prevent forward and downward pivotal movement of the top casing member 2 when the shelf is supported from below by the two legs indicated at 13 and 14.

Each of the legs 13 and 14 is preferably, but not necessarily composed of relatively light-Weight metal rod or hollow tubing and is in the form of a loop member having a rounded, supporting foot portion 15 adapted to rest against the floor when the leg is extended to the forwardlyprojecting position shown in Fig. 2. When in this position the horizontal part 16 of each leg extends under the shelf 9 to thus support the shelf in its horizontal position. Each of the legs 13 and 14 has a vertical part 17 pivotal in a sleeve 18 secured by screws 19 or other suitable fastening elements on a flat bar or strip 20 mounted within the casing member 1 and extending between opposite portions of the enclosing wall 6. These bars or strips 20 not only serve as anchorages for the sleeves 18 but also serve to materially stiffen and reinforce the casing member 1. An additional transverse reinforcing strip 21 can also be employed within the casing member 1 to lend strength and stiffness to it.

In its closed position, the display stand appears as shown in Fig. 3. It will be therein seen that the two casing members 1 and 2 have been swung on the hinges 7 to overlying position, wherein they co-operate to form a closed container or case in which the legs 13 and 14, in their folded or inoperative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5, are contained together with the downwardly-folded shelf 9. The casing members 1 and 2 are held in this folded or closed position by means of the clasps 22 having co-operating sections on the casing members 1 and 2. A handle 23 is secured on the outside of the wall 6 of the casing member 1 and this facilitates the carrying of the display stand while in its folded condition.

The setting up or erection of the stand to its display position is performed by release of the clasps 22 and the pivotal movement of the upper casing member 2 to a position above the casing member 1 and this pivotal movement of the casing member 2 causes the shelf 9 to be swung outwardly to its horizontal position, the beginning of such swinging movement being shown in Fig. 4, the shelf in its final horizontal supporting position being shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

To maintain the shelf in its horizontal supporting position, the legs 13 and 14 are pivoted forwardly to extend under the shelf, to support the same as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. In the extended position of these legs, the same diverge slightly from their pivotal points, as will be observed in Fig. 6, and to limit the outward swing of the legs, stops or abutments 25 are provided on the underside of the shelf.

From the foregoing, the uses and advantages of the improved display stand will be readily apparent. When in its folded or closed condition, all of the operative parts of the device are enclosed and the stand is easily portable and can be readily carried about by the handle 23. The erection of the stand is easily performed as has been described, and when it is in its open and erect position, goods or wares may be supported by and displayed on the shelf 9 which is firmly rested on the legs 13 and 14 and thus maintained against downward pivotal movement. As the shelf is thus rigidly maintainedin a horizontal position, the links 11 act as rigid braces between the shelf and the upper casing member 2 and thus prevent forward and downward swing of the casing member 2, holding it as a rigid upward extension of the lower casing section 1. While two supporting legs are suggested, a single leg might be used.

The panel portion 3 of the upper casing member 2 provides a display surface to which advertising or display matter, or even articles to be sold, may be attached, or the panel can be attractively decorated to form a background for the articles artistically arranged on and supported by the shelf, and various decorative effects may be had according to the ingenuity of the user. A feature of the device is its portability; its ability to be folded, moved from place to place and quickly set up. In its folded condition it can be easily transported or shipped at a minimum of shipping expense.

While I have herein suggested that the stand is especially adaptable for use as a display stand, it can have numerous other uses. For example, with little or no modification, it is capable of use as a writing desk, artists easel or other useful article.

' While I have herein described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims What I claim is:

1. A display stand comprising, a pair of easing sections hingedly connected together and arranged to abut in end-to-end relationship when in open position, one of said casing sections being adapted to stand on end said casing sections forming an enclosing container when hingedly moved to overlying position, a shelf pivotally attached adjacent one end to one of the casing sections and adapted to be normally contained within such section, a link connected to said shelf adjacent to one end, the link having an opposite end conected to the second casing section, and pivotal supporting means normally contained Within the casing section to which the shelf is pivoted, said supporting means being unconnected to and operative independently of the shelf and being swingable to a position wherein such supporting means extends under the shelf and supports the same in a horizontal position when the casing sections are arranged end-to-end and when one of the casing sections is stood on end and the shelf is extended outwardly from and horizontally with respect to the casing section to which it is pivotally attached and which is stood on end.

2. A display stand comprising, a pair of casing sections, each having walls hingedly connected together to enable the casing sections to abut in end-to-end relationship when in open position, and allow one of the sections to stand on end said casing sections forming an enclosing container when hingedly moved to overlying position, a shelf pivotally attached adjacent one end to the wall of one of the casing sections and adapted to be normally contained within such section, a link connected to a side wall of said shelf, the link having an opposite end connected to a side wall of the second casing section, and pivotal supporting means in the form of loop-shaped legs normally contained within the casing section to which the shelf is pivoted, said legs being unattached to the shelf and being swingable to a position wherein such legs extend under the shelf and support the same when the casing sections are arranged end-to-end and the shelf is extended outwardly from and horizontally with respect to the casing section to which it is pivotally attached.

3. A display stand comprising, a pair of hingedlyconnected casing members, the hinged connection between said members permitting the members to be placed in eitherend-to-end relationship or else in overlying position, the members when in such overlying position forming a container, a shelf hingedly secured to one of the members and movable to extend at right angles thereto, a link pivoted at one end to the shelf and at its other end to the second casing member, a pair of legs secured to and housed in the casing member in which the shelf is pivoted, the shelf being extendable to horizontal position upon movement of the casing members to end-toend position, said shelf and the casing members being respectively maintained in horizontal position and end-toend position by the positioning of the legs under the shelf.

4. A display stand comprising, a pair of hingedlyconnected casing members, the hinged connection therebetween enabling said members to be placed end-to-end or in overlying relation, each member having a side wall, ashelf pivoted between opposite portions of the side wall of one of the members, links pivoted at one end to the shelf and at their other ends to the side wall of the second member, legs housed wit-bin the member in which the shelf is pivoted, said legs being unattached to the shelf and being movable independently of the shelf to project out of said member and to position them under the shelf when the casing members are in end-to-end relationship and the shelf is extended out of the member in which it is pivoted.

References Cited in the file of this patent' UNITED STATES PATENTS 923,500 Drees June 1, 1909 1,007,113 Kazian Oct. 31, 1911 1,197,610 Darling Sept. 12, 1916 1,809,028 Fanarjian June 9, 1931 2,755,156 Nichols July 17, 1956 

